Workshop: Effective Business Writing

Host: Prathmesh P. & 2 others

Speaker: Vishal Kataria

Date: SAT, July 8 · 10:00 AM IST

Meetup link

Have you ever encountered a written message filled with excessively long sentences and a plethora of jargon terms? Such messages often leave readers feeling puzzled, struggling to grasp the intended meaning. 

Interestingly, we may even be guilty of crafting similar messages ourselves, unknowingly burdening our readers with unnecessary cognitive load and elongated comprehension times. Clear and concise communication is the need of the hour.

Get ready for an enlightening session as Vishal Kataria guides us through the intricacies of effective business writing, offering invaluable insights that will enhance our communication skills and elevate our professional impact.

As an Assistant Managing Editor at Sportskeeda and a former management consultant, Vishal’s diverse background adds a unique perspective to his presentations. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Vishal is a true music enthusiast and a skilled guitar player. With the harmonious melodies of music, he effortlessly elevates the engagement and interest levels among our attendees.

Vishal presented some quick and simple tips to transform complex paragraphs into concise sentences, making communication easier for recipients.

• Omit unnecessary words like ‘that’ in your sentences.
  • E.g.  “She promised me that she would be here.” becomes “She promised me she‘d be here.”
    
• Avoid using phrases like “I think” or “I feel.”
  • E.g. “I think that this is a good sentence.” becomes “This is a good sentence.”
    
• Replace “verb + ing” phrases with shorter alternatives.
  • E.g. “I’m going to call him at 11” becomes “I’ll call him at 11.”
    
• Get rid of ‘very’ and ‘extremely.’
  • For example, I’m very tired today.  Can be stated as, I feel exhausted. 
  • It will help to increase your vocabulary too.
    
• Shorten sentences instead of combining them with ‘and’ or similar conjunctions.
  
• Steer clear of passive voice for clearer messages.
  • E.g. The task which is lengthy can be completed tomorrow” becomes “you can complete the lengthy task tomorrow.”
    
• Cut out wordy phrases, such as “in order to,” “due to the fact that,” etc. E.g.
  • In order to — can be replaced with “to”
  • Due to the fact that — can be replaced with “because”
  • In the event that — can be replaced with “if”
  • A large number of — can be replaced with “many”
    
• Refrain from starting sentences with “there.”
  • E.g “There is a need for the systems and processes to be revised” changes to “We need to revise our systems and processes.”
    
• Rearrange sentences with relative pronouns to shorten them.
  • Instead of putting words like “that” and “who” before the verb, turn the noun into an adjective.
  • E.g. “We would like to hire people who are well-versed in Javascript” (12 words) becomes “We should hire fluent Javascript coders.” (6 words)
    
• Simplify phrases following “in” or “of” by flipping the structure.
  • E.g. “Employees in the Delhi branch” becomes “Delhi employees” or “the Delhi team.”

Vishal highlighted the three main purposes of written communication:

• Inform or educate
• Convince or persuade
• Inspire

Vishal introduced three valuable frameworks as general guidelines for effective written communication:

MACJ Framework

• MADMAN: Collect the necessary information and give proper credits.
• ARCHITECT: Organize the gathered material and shortlist three key points to share.
• CARPENTER: Write swiftly, keeping the purpose of writing in mind.
• JUDGE: Review and check the tone, grammar, and clarity of the message.

The BLUF Framework (Bottom Line Up Front)

This framework emphasizes presenting critical information before providing further context. Key points and requests are bolded for clarity and emphasis.

Example,

Hello Product Team Leaders,

All product teams will participate in a Hack-a-thon from September 1–5, 2020. (Bottom Line)

Background

– This is an effort to amplify the creative work that product teams are doing.

– [Boss name] has approved the hack-a-thon, so kindly add these dates to your team calendars.

The IFTTT Framework (If This Then That)

This framework is particularly useful for reducing follow-up emails or circular dialogues.

For example, if you want to ask for a suitable time for a call, below example will depict this framework usage.

Dear Paramdeep,

I would like to get your thoughts on a policy we have to implement by the first week of September.

Would Wednesday 11 AM work for you for a quick chat? If not, kindly let me know 3 other time slots in this week and we’ll choose one of them.

Thanks.

Purpose of the call is clearly mentioned in the above message. It helps other team members to prepare for the meeting & get the context.

By adopting these frameworks, your written communication can become more efficient, clear, and result-oriented, enhancing collaboration and productivity within your team.

Vishal presented some quick and effective email guidelines to streamline communication:

• Keep Searchable Subject Line: Use subject lines that clearly describe the information or action required, making it easier to refer back to the email later.

• Include Dates and Specifics: Avoid ambiguous terms like “tomorrow” or “next week” and use specific dates to prevent confusion, especially when dealing with recipients in different time zones.

• Add Graphics & Tables When Needed: Incorporate visuals like graphics and tables to help users understand information and its impact more easily.

• Leave a Good Word: Express genuine gratitude and appreciation when appropriate.

• Enter the “To” Field Last: Proofread the email before sending and ensure all necessary changes have been made before entering the recipient’s address.

💡 You can use Gmail Delay send feature. 

The interactive workshop that followed the session was a great success. Attendees formed groups of four and actively engaged in discussing and designing a written approach based on the scenarios Vishal provided. It was an excellent opportunity to interact with fellow attendees, exchange views, and apply the valuable tips shared by Vishal.

We are truly grateful for the insightful workshop. During the session, Nagesh shared a heartwarming experience highlighting how a simple greeting can brighten someone’s day and bring a smile to their face. With this thought in mind and armed with the practical tips from Vishal, we left the event feeling inspired and eager to implement these newfound skills in our professional communication. Thanks to our Sponsors for their support.